Gang-plow



W. KIMMEL.

GANG PLOW.

(No Model.)

121:8 Morneys Patented May 4 1886.

N. PETERS. PhnlwLilhugmphen Washmglan n. c.

UNITED r STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM KIMMEL, OF MILTON, INDIANA.

GANG-PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,250, dated May 4,1886.

Application filed July 7, 18?:3. Serial No. 170,893. (No modcLl To allwhom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM KIMMEL, of Milton, in the county of Wayneand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Gang-Blows; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to thefigures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in gang plows, and especially tothat class in which a tractionengine or like propelling-motor isemployed to draw the plows across the field; and it consists in certainimproved de tails of construction, which will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of thespecification.

, In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan View ofmy invention; Fig. 2, alongitudinal section of the same, taken on theline 00 0c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional View taken on the liney 3 ofFig. 1; Fig. 4, an end view, with the plow-beams broken off, asshown by the section-lines; Fig. 5, a sectional view taken on the line 2z of Fig. 1, looking toward the rear; Fig. 6, a detached view of thecoupling by which the pl ow-beam is connected to the adjustable frame.Fig. 7 is a view of a modification of the means for adjusting the depthat which the plows run, and Fig. 8 a similar view of a modification ofthe means for adjusting the plow on its horizontal axis.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

The letters A A each indicate a metal frame, such as each plow-beam isconnected to. These frames may be two, three, or more in number; buthowever many are employed, they are made of varying lengths, so as tobring their connected plows in diagonal ranks, as usual. Each of thesemetal frames consists of two longitudinal bars, a a, connected at theirrear end by a cross-piece, a, and atintermediate points between theirends by reversely screw-threaded cross-bars or bolts a which passthrough perforations in said bars, and are held by means of locking nutsa a, applied on the inside and outside of the said longitudinal bars,respectively. By changing the position of these lockingnuts the framesmay be made wider or narrower, and rigidly held in their adjustedpositions. The forward or widerend of each frameis perforated, as shownin Fig. 2, for the accommodation of a crossshaft or through-rod, B,common to all the frames. The connection of the frames to thisthrough-rod is such as to permit of the independent swinging motion ofeach of them upon it as a pivot.

I may construct the through-rod of a solid piece of metal or of metaltubing-such as gas piping; but I do not desire to limit myself to theuse of either of these constructions exclusively.

Mounted upon the through-rod, between the frames A, are arranged two adjustable collars or stops, 0, that are adapted to be moved longitudiuallyupon the througlrrod, and locked where desired thereon by means ofset-screws c or other equivalent means. By means of these adjustablecollars the frames are kept in their proper relative positions, and areenabled to be adjusted nearer to or farther from each other, and therebyincrease or diminish the distance between the plows connected to them.Straps or other suitable couplings such as D-are applied to thethrough-rod B, and serve to connect the frames to the tractionengine orother power arrangement.

E E represent the forward ends of the plowbca-ms, (the plows, ofordinary construction,not being shown.) Each of these plow-beams isconnected by means of a break-pin, e, to the head of what may be termeda coupling, F, whose shank f passes through the cross-piece or endplate, a, of the frame A, and carries on its squared end a toothed wheelor segment, G, with the teeth of which meshes a short worm-shaft, H. Bythe operation of this wormshaft thecoupling is rotated to the right orto theleft upon its horizontal axis, thereby causing the plow beam andthe connected plow to be canted to theright or to the left correspondingly, and, in order that no unusual strain will be exerted upon thebreak-pin by reason of thus canting the plow, the end of the plowbeam iswidened vertically, and the coupling is provided with an elongatedrecess to receive it, from which it results that upon the turning of thecoupling the plow-beam will be turned,

not by reason of the break-pin, but because of the impingement of itssaid widened end upon the walls of the elongated recess or slot in thecoupling-head, as will be readily understood. When in operation eitherof the plows meets with an immovable obstruction, the break-pin will beparted, thus guarding against breakage of the plow.

In lieu of the toothed wheel and wormshaft for imparting rotary motiontothe coupling,I may employ simply a hand-lever, I, having ratchet-teethon its opposite sides, and adapted to engage with pawls K K, pivotedupon the frame A. The lower end of this hand-lever is passed through anopening in the shank of the coupling, as shown in Fig. 8. By moving thehand-lever to right or left until the desired point of adjustment of theplow is reached,

then engaging with it the pawls, it will be securely locked in position.

For the purpose of causing the plows to run deeper or shallower, asdesired, I provide each of the independent frames A with an adjustablegage-wheel, -L, mounted between arms Z, that are pivoted at their upperends to said frame. A screw-shaft, m, mounted in an oscillating block,a, so as to turn freely therein, co-operates with 'a correspondingscrew-nut, having its bearings in said arms Z, to effect the raising orlowering of the said gage-wheel, according as the said screw-shaft isrotated in one or the other direction. This provision renders itpracticable to at any moment change the depth at which the plows runwithout the necessity of taking any portion of the machine apart.

As a substitute for the last described arrangement, I may employ thatshown in Fig. 7, consisting of the pivoted lever 0, bearing at its lowerend the gage-wheel, and at its upper end a sliding pawl, that is adaptedto engage with one or the other of the teeth of a fixed segment, P. I donot, however, regard this as desirable an arrangement as thefirstdescribed one.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gang-plow, the independent adjustable frames consisting of thelongitudinal bars, the end piece, and the reversely screw-threadedcross-bars provided with the nuts for clamping and holding thelongitudinal bars in the desired position of adjustment, substantiallyas described.

2. In a gang-plow, the combination of the through-rod,the independentadjustable frame connected thereto, having the coupling at its outerend, consisting of the head to which the plow-beam is attached and theshank provided with means for rotating and looking it, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a gangplow, the combination, with the independent frame of theplow-beam, the rotatable coupling between the beam and said frame, thetoothed wheel or segment on the shank of said coupling, and thewormshaft, substantially as described.

4. In a gang-plow, the combination, with the independent adjustableframes and their adjustable gage-wheels, of the plow-beams coupled tosaid frames, and means, substantially as described, for rotating andlocking said couplings, as set forth.

5. In a gang-plow, the combination, with the through-bar, of theindependent frames of different lengths hinged to said through-bar andthe plows connected to said frames by couplings, substantially asdescribed.

. XVILLIAM KIMMEL.

WVitnesses:

W. F. MEDSKER, GEORGE KIMMEL.

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